On a day when the nations strongest Second Amendment lobby group was gathered in Houston, the Texas House on Saturday tentatively approved a dozen pro-gun bills  including a highly controversial measure that would legalize concealed weapons in buildings on college campuses.

Another bill would thwart enforcement of new federal gun restrictions in Texas, a move intended to target firearms laws proposed by the Obama administration.

Saturdays votes were on a wide array of legislation that would provide state training for new school marshals to protect students from shooting attacks, exempt concealed weapons licensees living in remote rural areas from electronic fingerprinting rules, allow for an inadvertent display of a concealed pistol, shorten the amount of classroom instruction required to obtain a concealed handgun permit and allow for renewal of handgun licenses on the Internet.

While most passed quickly with voice votes, disagreement erupted over the so-called campus carry bill and federal restrictions.

The controversial Concealed Campus Carry bill is inclusive of carrying concealed weapons into campus buildings. Students over 21 will have the right to carry a concealed handgun into their classrooms if this bill becomes law. Opponents of the legislation point to the risk of increased violence on University campuses.

Proponents of the bill argue that only 9300 of the state-wide 584,000 handgun licenses are held by people between the ages of 21-25 and many of those are military veterans.

The other highly controversial measure is one that will prosecute local and state officials for attempting to enforce federal firearms limits. Police officers or other officials who attempt to enforce federal firearms limits would be prosecuted and face a maximum of a $4000 fine and up to 1 year in jail.

.....that would legalize concealed weapons in buildings on college campuses

B-B-ut that would prevent mass shootings on College campuses. Is that what we want? But that's not fair to the mass shooter if people shoot back! How is he suppose to kill a lot of people if he is killed before he gets off a second shot? Not that is not fair!

4
posted on 05/06/2013 8:19:51 AM PDT
by GrandJediMasterYoda
(Someday our schools will teach the difference between "lose" and "loose")

Please excuse my ignorance here,,,, while I applaud these actions & wholeheartedly agree, is this something that could be potentially be repealed by a future lib controlled legislative body? I wonder if these laws are written so as to prevent their future repeal or watering down? I would welcome an enlightening.

Another bill would thwart enforcement of new federal gun restrictions in Texas, a move intended to target firearms laws proposed by the Obama administration.

This bill (HB1076) was made completely toothless by Amendment #2 which passed with a 82-31 vote in the House. This Amendment prohibited any State funds from being used to fight any rule made by the Feds if any part of the bill was determined to violate Fed law or regulation. So, this bill is for show only. Legislators can say they voted "for" states rights and the 10th Amendment while voting for the Amendment which makes the bill null and void by any Fed action. Typical political stunt for the low information voters.

Really a wink and nod to the various state LEOâs that the state will not furnish or cooperate with these federal rules. Without state cooperation enforcement becomes a lot more difficult. This parallels Eric Holder picking and choosing which laws to enforce...goose meet gander !!!

“...is this something that could be potentially be repealed by a future lib controlled legislative body?”

Every law on the books can be changed by the Texas Legislature if it passes the House, the Senate, and the Governor signs it.

However, we are talking pro gun bills and you can’t put Texas Democrats on the non gun side. They grew up in Texas with guns, I bet every Democrat in both houses have at least one, so guns are not a political football in Texas. A few Dems might not want them in schools/colleges but that is as far as they would go and even that passed last Saturday.

HB1076 was a bill which said that any firearm or firearm accessory made in the State of Texas and possessed or sold in within the state was not subject to any Federal regulations. The Feds would immediately contest that rule and the bill could not be defended in court because state money coulde not be spent to litigate the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.

The controversial Concealed Campus Carry bill is inclusive of carrying concealed weapons into campus buildings. Students over 21 will have the right to carry a concealed handgun into their classrooms if this bill becomes law. Opponents of the legislation point to the risk of increased violence on University campuses.

It's already been done in Utah (my daughter goes to USU). Logan, UT is one of the safest cities in America.

19
posted on 05/06/2013 9:12:05 AM PDT
by Carry_Okie
(An economy is not a zero-sum game, but politics usually is.)

Actually, these bills come up for their 3rd reading on the Texas House floor today. None have “passed” the House. After this 3rd reading, they will be scheduled for a full House vote at a later date. No doubt, all will pass if the House is allowed to vote on them. Let’s see which of these bills the House Speaker will allow to come up for a vote.

After reading the bill and I found there were no amendments filed. There is a section that limits funds to entities that attempt to enforce federal laws concerning guns. Look carefully at Section 4 and specifically at subsection d.

Yes, there were two Amendments filed but both wre tabled. I owe you an others an apology! BTW - my Rep. Klick voted "no" mistakenly and reversed her vote to "yes". Stephanie Klick is one of the original authors of this and an author or sponsor of virtully all pro gun bills in the House. I love her!

It was tabled, not accepted, not denied. As best as I can tell, "tabled" means no-go here in Texas.

From the remarks on the amendment...

C. TURNER: I see them. So, representative, this bill is political posturing. We have a Supremacy Clause in the United States Constitution

TOTH: In 2008, the case of McDonald v. Chicago , Antonin Scalia, representing the majority of opinion, looked back on a very difficult time in Americans history. When slaves, who are now free, were fighting for their freedom again after the Civil War, whiteprior white slave owners took guns away from them.

And Antonin Scalia said preservation of the 2nd Amendment was imperative so that they could be free. There are 27 Amendments in the Constitution. And theres only one that says "shall not be infringed." In this amendment to my bill seeks to keep the attorney general from preserving this right that keeps all people free, and Id ask that we table it.

Again, I get in too much of a hurry. My post 12 said that 1076 was firearms manufactured in Texas were exempt from Feds. Not true. HB1076 makes any new Federal firearms laws unenforceable in the State of Texas. HB872 is the manufacture law. Still in committee and not yet voted out.

And yet, *still* no open carry. While I prefer concealed carry, personally, I find it amazing that Texas cannot get over this odd hump.

In Arizona, where open carry is as common as the public chewing of gum, most people still prefer concealed carry, I suspect mostly to keep their metal gun more shaded on hot days, and an open carry sidearm tends to interfere with a car’s seat belt lock. Especially with those darned bucket seats.

I know what you mean since I am from New Jersey...and have thankfully lived in Texas for more than 10 years. Looking forward to relief from inadvertent display, open carry (though I think it better to conceal) and telling Obama and Holder to stick it.

33
posted on 05/06/2013 5:20:29 PM PDT
by Ancesthntr
("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)

I know what you mean since I am from New Jersey...and have thankfully lived in Texas for more than 10 years. Looking forward to relief from inadvertent display, open carry (though I think it better to conceal) and telling Obama and Holder to stick it.

34
posted on 05/06/2013 5:21:10 PM PDT
by Ancesthntr
("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)

And by no means am I slurring the good gunnies and folks who are still in Jersey and unable to move due to whatever reason.

As for conceal versus open - in PA, I have the option of either. I choose concealed most of the time because I’d rather be unobtrusive. But there’s days when I have just feel like being contrary and pissing people off by exercising my right. Then I carry open. Never fails to get looks and scowls from some.

I just smile, nod and grin: “You have a nice day now, y’hear?”

35
posted on 05/07/2013 9:41:53 AM PDT
by NFHale
(The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)

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